ROBINSON: Overwhelming silence follows chemical spill

4:53 PM,
Jan. 20, 2014

Written by

EUGENE ROBINSON

The drinking water in nine West Virginia counties has finally been declared safe, or mostly safe. But many people say they can still smell the licorice-like odor of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol - in the sink, in the shower, in the air, especially in neighborhoods close to the Elk River.

I say "mostly" because so little is known about the toxicity of the chemical, known as MCHM, that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised pregnant women in the affected area not to drink the water, at least for now. Unfortunately, this warning came after the CDC had already told residents the ...